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RFOverFiber DesignGuideOverview
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Whyusefiber?
TransmissionofRFandMicrowaveSignalsviawaveguidesorcoaxialcablesuffershighinsertion loss and susceptibility to interference (EMI). Single Mode Fiber Optic Analog RF (aka RFoF) Transceivers provide an excellent alternative for this type of application. Fiber Optic transmission offers significant advantages for the reliable transport of RF signals in their native format over many types of optical networks and across a broad range of frequencies. For analog type signals, especially at high frequencies, in which premium performance at high Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) is desirable, there are but a few methods to achieve such agoal. Lesssignaldegradationpermeter Highersignalcarryingcapacity/bandwidth Lesscostlypermeter Lighterandthinnerthancopperwire Freefromelectromagneticinterference(Poorweatherdoesnotaffectsignal) Lowertransmitterlaunchingpower Flexible(usedinmedicalandmechanicalimagingsystems)

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Functionality&HowitWorks?
The incoming RF signal is input to the Transmitter Module, which contains RF signal conditioning, provides complex impedance matching between 50 Ohm input impedance and the Laser, Laser Bias Control, APC, Monitoring and Alarm electronics. The transmitter module utilizes an Intensity Modulation scheme to convert RF to light, which is transported through an optical fiber into the Optical Receiver. The Receiver Module converts the modulated light back into an RF signal. The recovered RF signal is again complex impedance matched and amplified before it becomes available at the output of the receiver. Generally the photodiode is a high impedance current source with an impedance around 2 kohms, followed with several amplifiers.Thebroadbandmatchingisachievedwithvarietyofschemesthatwillbedictatedby the overall user modulation bandwidth and Noise density and Intermodulation distortion requirements. There are many types of RFOF Direct modulation transmitters including CWDM grade,butformostpart.Thefollowingtwotypescovermajorityofapplications. ThetwotypesofLinksare,withoutanyLowNoiseAmplifiers(LNA)andotherwithLNAbuiltin. Typical RFoF Link without LNA has a Gain offering from 1dB +/ 1, but higher Gain is availablebasedoncustomeroverallbandwidth,NFandIIP3requirements. Typical RFoF Link with LNA has a Gain offering from 20dB +/ 1, but higher Gain is availablebasedoncustomeroverallbandwidth,NFandIIP3requirements.

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 RFAttenuationvs.OpticalLoss
1dBoofopticallosscorrespondsto2dBeofRFloss. Thephotodiodegeneratedcurrentcanbecalculatedfromthefollowingexpression: Ipd=rpdxPoptWhere, Ipd=photodiodecurrent(A), rpd=smallsignalphotodioderesponsitivity(A/W), Popt=opticalpowerdetectedbyphotodiode(W). TheoutputRFpowercanalsobecalculatedusingthephotoDiodegeneratedcurrent Prf=Ipd^2xRloadWhere Prf=powerdeliveredtoloadresistanceconnectedtophotodiode(W), Rload=loadresistanceconnectedtophotodiode(). WithsomeSimplesubstituting: Prf=rpd^2xPopt^2xRload Thus the converted RF power is related to the square of the optical power, and due to this relationship, a 1dB loss of optical power will become a 2dB loss of RF power. To eliminate confusion between optical losses and electrical losses the unit dBo and dBe has been adopted respectively.

ApplicationNote

SimpleRFoverFiberLinkBlockDiagram
Low Noise Amplifier
Bias-T Complex impedance Matching
DC RF RF+DC Optical Isolator DC Power DC Power

Photo Diode

High Gain Power Amplifier

LNA

RF Input

Fiber

Complex impedance Matching

RF Output

PA

Laser

FO TX: Fiber Optic Transmitter

Current Source

FO RX: Fiber Optic Receiver

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LinkGain
Typical Laser Diode Transfer function Curve.
Output Optical Power (mW) Input Optical Power (mW)

Typical Photo Diode Transfer function Curve.

ApplicationNote

Slope Efficiency = ? P/? I (mW/mA)

Photodiode Responsitivity Amp/Watt

Laser Current (mA)

Photodiode output Current

Threshold Current (mA) Laser Bias Current

RFoFTotalLINKGAIN RFoFTotalLinkGain(dB)=GT LNAGain(dB)=GLNA OpticalTXRFEOefficiency(mW/mA)=TX(includes 50 ohms to Laser Matching losses andLaserslopeefficiency) OpticalRXRFOEefficiency(mA/mW)=RX (includes matching losses of PD high impedanceto50ohmsandPDresponsitivitylosses) Fibercablelosses(dB)=Lopt(includesfiberlosses,andcouplingorsplicesetc) GT(dB)=GLNA(dB)+20log(TX.RX)2Lopt

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ApplicationNote

EffectsofLaserSlopeEfficiency InallLaserstheslopeefficiencyparameterisverytemperaturesensitive.AstheLaser temperaturechanges,sodoestheslopeefficiencyoftheLaser,andconsequently,allofthe othercriticalLaserparameterssuchasGain,OMI,NF,IP3,etc..Thetemperaturecharacteristics oftheLaserdiodearesuch,thatasthethresholdcurrentincreases,theslopeefficiencyofthe Laserdevicedecreases,andanincreasingLasertemperatureresults.Thisphenomenonmakes theLaserlessefficient,thusreducingtheRFsignalGainandincreasingthelinkNoisefigure,as wellascausingadditionaldegradationintheLaserlinearity. Onemethodtoovercomethisphenomenon,whichyieldshighperformance,istousean integralThermoelectricCooler(TEC)withDFBLasers.Thistechnologyassuresahighlevelof LaserstabilityandassuresexcellentRFperformance,AtypicalcooledDFBLaserhasahigh slopeefficiency,whichmeansthattheLaserishighlysensitiveandrequiresalower modulationcurrentinordertoachievetheusualhighmodulationindex. LaserSlopeEfficiencyoverTemperature

InCaseofCooledDFBLaserTransmitter,theslopeEfficiencyofthelaserisnotchangedeven thoughtheTransmittermodulewillbeexposedtowidetemperaturevariationsofupto40Cto +85C

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TotalLinkNoiseFigureAnalysis
EquivalentLinkInputNoiseDensity(dBmHz),EINistheamountofNoiseattheinputof theRFoFlinkthatproducesoutputNoiseDensity(EON)atthereceiverendifthetotal linkitselfwereNoiseless) Noisefigure(NF)isameasureofdegradationoftheSignaltoNoiseRatio(SNR),caused bycomponentsinaRFsignalChain.Thenoisefigureisthustheratioofactualoutput noisetothatwhichwouldremainifthedeviceitselfdidnotintroducenoise.

ApplicationNote

EIN=EONGT Where,GT(dB)=GLNA(dB)+20log(TX.RX)2Lopt NF=EIN+174dBmHz Where,KBTisidealdevicethatisterminatedbyapassiveloadat temperature290Kelvin(T0).KB=1.38x10^23J/KBoltzmannconstant TheEndtoendlinknoiseisduetovarietyofsources,suchastheLaserRelativeIntensityNoise (RIN),PhotodiodeShotNoiseandtheThermalNoiseduetothereceiverpostamplifiers followingthePD.Asyoucanseeabovetheopticallossesduetothefiberinherentlossesand anycouplinglossesisalsodegradestheLinkequivalentinputnoisedensityEIN. EIN=EINlaserRIN+EINPDshotNoise+EINreceiverThermalNoise(W/Hz)

TotalLinkNoiseandAllItsContributorsvs.OpticalLoss
RFoF Input Noise Density
-90.00 EIN Total -100.00 EIN Thermal EIN Shot -110.00 EIN (dBm-HZ) EIN RIN

-120.00

-130.00

-140.00

-150.00 0 5 10 15 Optical Losses dB 20 25 30

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HowtoReduceNoiseFigure(NF)?
OnewhattoreducetheNFofaRFoFLink(EndtoEnd)istoincreaseTransmitterRFto ConversionefficiencyotherwisetheTXGain.UsingaLowNoiseamplifierBeforetheLaseris highlyeffectivewayachievingjustthat.ChoosingtheLNAproperlyisextremelyimportantto maximizetheeffectivenessofsuchapproach,andparameterssuchasGain,NFandIIP3of amplifierplayakeyroleinallthat. TheWayitworksisasfollowing: NFTotalRFoFLINK=NFLNA+(NFRFoFLink1)/GainLNA ForExample: LNAGain20dB LNANF3dB RFoFLinkNFwithoutLNA=40dB NFTotalRFoFLINK=2+(100001)/100=102 NFTotalRFoFLINK=10xLOG(102)=20dB 20dBimprovementinNF! *ThedrawbackinsuchapproachisalsoreductioninInput3rdOrderInterceptPointofthetotal linkwhichmustbeconsideredinoverallLinksystemDesign.

ApplicationNote

HowtoCalculateCarriertoNoiseRatio(CNR)?
NoiseEquivalentBandwidthisdefinedsuchasWhenwhitenoise(flatspectrumoffrequencies) ispassedthroughafilterhavingafrequencyresponseH(f),someofthenoisepowerisrejected bythefilterandsomeispassedthroughtotheoutput.ThisisalsoknownasSignalChannel Bandwidth(BW). ThustoCalculateCarriertoNoiseRatioofaRFoF linknotonlyoneneedtoknowtheinputsignal levelandlinkEINbutalsotheNoiseEquivalent Bandwidth. Sinput=RFinputSignalLeveldBm PNoise=TotalNoiseattheinputdBm PNoise=EIN+10Log(BW) CNR=SinputPNoise(dB)

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3rdOrderInputInterceptPoint?
AInputthirdorderinterceptpoint(IIP3)isameasureofnonlinearityoftheRFoFlink.The interceptpointisapurelymathematicalconcept,anddoesnotcorrespondtoapractically occurringphysicalpowerlevel.Inmanycases,itliesbeyondthedamagethresholdofthe device.Butinmultichannelsystemknowingthisparameteriscriticalparametertocalculate theoverallIntermodulationdistortionproducedbytheRFoFlink. CarriertoIMDratio=2x(IIP3Signallevel)dBc,(IntermodulationDistortionlevelsbelow Carrier) AnotherparameterishasbeenusedtomeasurenonlinearityoftheRFoFlinkisOIP3,which istheOutputthirdorderinterceptpointwhichismeasuredattheoutputofaopticalreceiver. IIP3=OIP3LinkGain OIP3=SignalLevel(dBm)+[(SignalLevel(dBm)3rdorderdistortion(dBm)/2] ToCalculatetheOIP3ofaRFoFlink,istoinputTwoTonesintotheRFoFTransmitterand measurethe3rdorderdistortionproductsasisshownbelow. 3rdOrderInputInterceptPointMeasurement

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3rdOrderInputInterceptPointPlots

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CascadedIIP3Calculations
IncasetherearePreamplifiers(LNA),orotherdevicesbeforeand/orafterRFoFlinktheoverall CascadedLinkIP3canbecalculatedasfollowing:

ApplicationNote

1/(OIP3EndEnd)=1/(OIP3LNA*GRFoF*GPA)+1/(OIP3RFoF*GPA)+1/(OIP3PA) 1/(OIP3EndEnd)=1/(1000*1*10)+1/(1000*10)+1/10000=1E4+1E4+1E4 1/(OIP3EndEnd)=3.33E3OR+35.22dBm

IIP3EndEnd=35.2230=+5.22dBm SpuriousFreeDynamicRange(SFDR)
SpuriousFreeDynamicRange(SFDR),isdefinedasthepowerlevelrangeofapairoftwoinput signalsinwhichthetwosignalsareabovethenoisefloorandthe3rdorderIntermodulation distortionproductsarebelowthenoisefloor. SFDR=2/3x(IIP3EIN10LOG(BW)) ThelargerSFDRbecomesthehigherdynamicrange,theRFoFlinkposses.TheSFDRcan beincreasedseveralways,amongthembyreducingthebandwidthorreducingtheTotalinput NoisedensityorincreaseIIP3ofthelink.

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Conclusion
Thispresentationisanoverviewoftheoverallprocessofdesigning,andspecifyingafiberoptic systemforanalogRFtransportanEngineeringGuide.RFoverFiberdesignersneedtoknow howtofactorinthekeyparametersofaRFoFlink(suchaslinkGain,NFandIP3,)fortheir systemanalysisanddesign.Equallyimportantarethequestionsyoumustanswerpriortonew developmentproject,suchas: 1. Whatarethesystemperformanceparametersthattheapplicationyouconsider requires?ThosearetheENDtoENDRFperformanceofthelink. 2. Shouldyouusefiberopticsinyourcommunicationsproducts? 3. Whatareitsadvantages? 4. HowdoyouspecifyaRFoFlinktoallowuserstochoosetheproperproductfortheir application? Wehaveansweredallquestionsexceptitem4,sotocompletethispresentationswehave accumulatedlistofquestionsbelowfortheusertocompleteenablingthemtooptimizethe overalllinkperformance.

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ApplicationNote
LastUpdatedJune8,2011

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2011OpticalZonuCorporation.Allrightsreserved.Contentsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.